


Ignis Scientia's Favorite Birthday

by amitiel



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet Ending, Blind Ignis Scientia, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Death, Death Fic, End of Life Fic, Gladio and Prompto are dead too, Grief, Ignis Scientia's Birthday, Ignis dies in this, M/M, Old Ignis, Passing, Reunited with loved ones, Seriously I cried writing this, Tears, You Have Been Warned, death & dying, end of life, everyone is dead in this, seriously this is an end of life fic, you've been warned I cried
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:02:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29245509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amitiel/pseuds/amitiel
Summary: Ignis is old -ninety eight to be exact. He is the last one left of the four of them, waiting for the time that Eos will be prepared to lose them all. Blind and unseeing, Ignis spends his birthday with his friends in the Citadel gardens. But it's not a time for mourning. No, this is a cause for celebration.Ignis is going home.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret & Noctis Lucis Caelum, Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 5
Kudos: 68





	Ignis Scientia's Favorite Birthday

February 7th, the middle of the winter in Lucis. Insomnia had seen warmer days, and the snow drifts had fallen heavily thanks to Shiva’s grace. Insomnia rarely saw snowfall, at least before the World of Ruin. Now, though, Shiva saw it fit to travel Eos again, bringing with her the icy chill of winter. 

Ignis had never seen such weather within Insomnia’s wall. Then again, he couldn’t see the world now as it was. His blindness wasn’t likely to vanish, and he had been understanding of the sacrifice necessary to save Noctis. Ignis had seen it all. Why couldn’t he change fate? Why were the Six cruel enough to show him the future while rendering him powerless to stop it?

The throne sat empty for all this time, a monument and testament to the sacrifice that had been made to save Eos. Each August, there was a memorial held in the One True King’s honor, where masses of people would pilgrimage to lay blue sylleblossoms at the foot of the throne. Lucis, like much of the world, was now a democracy, and as such Ignis had been part of the parliamentary staff for years.

Yet now, Ignis was old and grey and very tired. It was another birthday for the history books, another one that would pass in venerable silence. Gladio and Prompto were long gone. Prompto’s genetics as a clone deteriorated the fastest, despite their best efforts. Devastated by the loss, Gladio mourned his late husband until the grief and the years of fighting took its toll.

It was less than a decade later that Gladio passed. Ignis had been there for it. Gladio reached his hand up towards the heavens and whispered, “Prompto. I’m coming for ya.” Ignis cried more in happiness for him than anything. Gladio really suffered without Prompto there, just as Ignis had suffered without  _ him _ .

Alone, Ignis persevered, knowing that he would be waiting for him until he was ready. No, not Ignis. Ignis had been ready the moment he lost him, the moment that he walked through the doors to the throne room and didn’t come out again by himself. Ignis had to make sure Eos was ready. They were just about there, he supposed. The world was healing. It would always continue healing, never to be quite healed. Not as long as people were still around.

Achingly, Ignis held onto his cane as he made his way out to the Citadel gardens, where the sun would shine the most during the day and the moon illuminated the world at night. Ignis refused to let him be buried in the tomb.  _ He needs the sunshine _ , Ignis had argued.  _ He has always been our light. It’s time we grant him some light in return. _

No one argued with him. No one dared. Ignis knew him better than the rest, knew him in ways that others would never understand. And Gladio and Prompto were apt to agree with him more than anything. Noctis deserved the sunshine. He deserved so much. He got so little.

A black cloak on his shoulders, Ignis managed to find his way through the snowy gardens and over to where Noctis rested peacefully, the inscription on the monument not quite doing it justice. How could one sum up the life of someone so beloved in just a few words.  _ Here lies the One True King, Friend to Few, Savior to All. _

The relationship that Ignis and Noctis had was a secret, something that was never spoken, and therefore, never put on any monument. Ignis didn’t mind. What was most important was the memories they had together, right up until the end. Even still, Ignis thought that perhaps Noctis was still around, watching him. 

It was in the way that Ignis would be in his study, reading books translated to braille, and feeling a gust of wind, the scent of Noctis drifting through the room. It was in the way he would feel a tap on his shoulder when he lost his glasses to hide his blind eyes, and when he turned around they would suddenly be there. It was in the way he could swear that he heard Prompto and Noctis playing video games in the next room, their laughter filling the air. Noctis was there. They were all there, just waiting for him to come home.

“Hello Noctis,” Ignis said as he managed to sit on the ground, still limber enough after all these years. “I thought I’d come and spend my birthday with you. And the others. Gladio, Prompto. It’s good to see you, so to speak.”

Gladio and Prompto had both been buried next to Noctis, and insistence that no one would refuse. Gladio was to Noctis’ right as his Shield. Prompto was beside Gladio. Ignis would one day be buried to Noctis’ left. Ignis knew that day was coming soon. He could feel it. It didn’t scare him, but rather, comforted him. One day he would be with his beloved. One day he would get to hold Noctis once more.

“You think you’re ready?” Noctis asked him, his presence there, sitting beside him on the ground. “You’re what, a million years old now?”

Ignis laughed, a joy flowing through him to hear Noctis’ voice again. “I’m ninety eight, thank you very much. Sorry that you can’t handle seeing me this old.”

“I’m glad,” Noctis replied, the mirth in his voice so clear. “You deserved a good, long life. It was good, right?”

“Were you beside me?” Ignis asked, feeling a calmness wash over him as he trained his face towards the sky, letting the warmth of the sunshine wash over him. 

“Every step of the way,” Noctis confirmed. Ignis felt his gentle touch on his shoulder. He looked over and could see his beloved, young and beautiful, twenty years old and ready for a fishing trip or a hike in the wilderness with Gladio and Prompto. 

“Then it was good,” Ignis whispered, a smile on his face. “I’m ready, Noctis. I’m ready to hold you once more. Eos is ready for my departure.”

“They better be,” Noctis smiled, that grin that Ignis always loved. “Because I’ve waited long enough. Gladio and Prompto have everything ready for you.”

“For me?” Ignis asked, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet with Noctis’ hand in his. When he stood up, he was young again, in his twenties, dressed as he always did. 

“It is your birthday right?” Noctis asked. He reached up and kissed Ignis, the feeling of warmth spreading through him from his lips outward. Ignis wrapped his arms around Noctis, holding him tightly, securely. It was good to feel him again. “Damn, I’ve been waiting to do that for years.”

“As have I, Noct,” Ignis said, his smile failing to fade. There was no room for sadness, not on this day. Today was a celebration, just as his birthdays had been in the past. There was only joy, friendship, and love. He was going home to be with his family.

“Come on,” Noctis said eagerly, grabbing Ignis’ hand and leading him off to the unknown, the scent of summer calling to them both. “Luna’s helping with the decorations so Gladio and Prompto don’t set it on fire.”

“I can’t wait to see it,” Ignis replied, following joyously behind him. This was the best birthday Ignis ever had.

Ignis followed Noctis into the unknown, the sunshine and warmth welcoming him home.

**Author's Note:**

> I AM SO SORRY OKAY. There are personal reasons I won't get into for writing this, but needless to say I cried the entire time I wrote this and in a way it has been cathartic for me.
> 
> Regardless of the tears, I hope that this fic was what you were looking for, although the angst and tears may have kept this out of the "enjoyable" category.
> 
> And uh... Happy Birthday Ignis?


End file.
